Cedric Maxwell hasn’t worn a Boston Celtics uniform in nearly 40 years, but he still despises the rival Los Angeles Lakers.
Maxwell appeared on former Lakers guard Michael Cooper’s podcast “Showtime With Coop” recently, and he didn’t hold back. Cooper’s Lakers despised Maxwell’s Celtics, and the sentiment was mutual. In fact, Maxwell isn’t embarrassed to confess that he still despises those guys.
In the 1980s, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers were must-see television.
The Celtics and the Lakers were the NBA’s most bitter rivals in the 1980s. There was also no greater personal rivalry than Boston’s Larry Bird versus Los Angeles’ Magic Johnson. The two were the league’s faces, and they helped elevate the NBA to new heights.
The Celtics ruled the East. The Lakers dominated the Western Conference. During the decade, they won eight championships, with the Lakers winning five of them. Every year
Maxwell was a member of two of Boston’s three championship teams during the decade. When the Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets in the 1981 NBA Finals, he was awarded Finals MVP. In Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals against the dreaded Lakers, he also encouraged his teammates to jump on his back. He delivered by leading the squad with 24 points in a 111-102 win.
The competition in the 1980s was both intense and despised. It was nothing like what we see today. There was no handshake after games. The teams genuinely loathed each other, and the games were often rough, with hard fouls and thrown punches. Former Lakers guard Byron Scott once stated how much the teams disliked each other.
“The one thing everybody has to understand is that it was a true rivalry,” he stated on his “Off the Dribble” podcast. “Not like today.” The NBA no longer has the actual rivalries that it did in the past.
“We didn’t play with those guys throughout the summer. We didn’t play high school basketball with them, and we didn’t play AAU basketball with them. Those men despised us. We despised them.
“The rivalry was genuine. It was genuine. We couldn’t stand each other anymore. We attempted to thrash them. They attempted to assault us. In the thick of it all, we were attempting to win a series.”
Cooper Hears Maxwell’s Dislike for the Lakers
During his latest visit on Cooper’s podcast, former Celtics forward Maxwell lost no time in expressing his displeasure.
“When you played in that era, it wasn’t — like right now, you and I are playing buddy, buddy, laughing and s***,” Cooper was quoted as saying by Maxwell. “Man, we didn’t do that. I ran across (former Philadelphia 76ers guard) Maurice Cheeks
during a game the other day. I had a bad feeling. I felt compelled to punch him.
“All your guys, that’s how I feel about James Worthy. “Not much has changed.”
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Cooper admitted that he now likes Maxwell “as much as I hate his ass.”
“I’ve got that same hatred for your a$$, so don’t worry about it,” Maxwell replied. We’re in the same situation. I still have feelings for Magic (Johnson) and everybody who donned their colors.”
Maxwell stated that while he despises Magic, he respects him.
“As much as I despise Magic, I have the most respect for him,” Maxwell added. Not only for what he achieved for basketball, but also for what he did for the Black community and the HIV community.”
